LECTURE XL. 



THE WINTER CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE 

 DAIRY HERD. 



There was a time not so long ago when the dairy cow's 

 work was done almost entirely in the summer. Her master 

 thought it was asking too much of her to give milk during 

 the cold months of winter and thought that a ten months' 

 lactation period was too great a strain upon her nervous 

 system. 



During the winter months he allowed her to eat straw 

 or corn stalks without any grain. She ran out of doors much 

 of the time, taking shelter on the lee side of a stack or rail 

 fence. 



She was forced to travel perhaps a long distance to a 

 spring or creek in order to satisfy her thirst. No grain was 

 ever seen in her manger. 



Times and conditions have changed and the dairyman 

 has changed, and the dairy cow has become a veritable 

 machine used for the purpose of converting plant food into 

 rich milk. The dairy cow is now kept for profit. In many 

 places she is kept milking almost the year round. She is a 

 constant care, and to this care responds with an increased 

 flow of milk containing a high percentage of butter fat. 



Many follow the plan of having their dairy cows freshen 

 in the fall or early winter. There is usually more available 

 labor then to care for them. Dairy products, too, have a 

 higher value then as a rule. The cow has to be fed, housed, 

 ana kept in good condition. If she is milking, the same labor 

 with a little more feed will bring a profit to her owner. 

 When she has milked five or six months and is beginning 

 to let up a little on the flow, the spring is here and with it 

 the fresh, green, succulent pasture grass, and being turned 

 out on this the flow is increased and she is encouraged to 

 go on, giving a good amount for four or five months, when 

 she will begin to slack up to get ready for another lactation 

 period. 



